Science Stuff

When asked for her Christmas list, the lovely Madelyn Simone replied, “Science stuff,” along with more typical items for a six-year-old. I’m glad she hasn’t inherited the ‘aversion to science’ gene that’s been a marker for me. I made it through chemistry and biology in high school, but when it came to physics, I was clueless, going so far as to drop out of that class so it wouldn’t ruin my GPA. I was thrilled to find that psychology counted as a science in college, so managed to complete a four-year liberal arts degree without one traditional science class.

Consequently, I am not an expert on the subject of anything scientific, including climate change. Is it an elaborate hoax perpetuated on the American people so that Al Gore can get rich? That’s what one internet site suggests. That same source (to remain nameless) also tells us that lettuce is “over three times worse in greenhouse gas emissions than eating bacon.” Bad news for vegans – good news for environmentally-conscious bacon lovers!

In search of more reputable voices, I discovered that not only does The Ohio State University have a heart-attack-inducing football team, but they also bring experts together to discuss issues important to our state and country, including global warming. At one recent conference on climate change, Dr. Ellen Mosley-Thompson, the director of the Byrd Polar Research Center and a professor of geology at OSU, said this: “The climate is changing. The debate on that part is over. The impacts of climate change are already evident, and will become more widespread and pervasive over the next half-century. The public and our policy makers need the best scientific information available to help them make important decisions, but communication is often challenging.” Especially if you’re not a science nerd.

According to people who excelled in high school physics and other sciences, global warming is evident in specific, measurable ways. These include sea level rise, global temperature rise, warming oceans, shrinking ice sheets, extreme events (weather, not rock concerts), decreased snow cover, and ocean acidification. Taken individually, these don’t seem to be all bad. On our last few visits to Old Orchard Beach, Maine, the ocean water has felt warmer, so we didn’t suffer from our usual frostbite at the beach. I’m enjoying the milder autumn temperatures these days. I don’t ski, so the less snow there is, the less to shovel. And since we live hundreds of miles from the coast, Ashland is in no danger of being swallowed up by the sea. So what’s the big deal?

NASA data enlightens us more: the number of “record high temperature events” has been increasing since 1950, along with increased “intense rainfall events.” While we’ve been spared the wrath of Katrina and Sandy here in Ohio, many of our brothers and sisters weren’t that fortunate.

A National Geographic report indicates that the rise in sea level can cause “destructive erosion, flooding of wetlands, contamination of aquifers and agricultural soils, and lost habitat for fish, birds and plants.” Flooding, with higher than usual storm surges, is likely to occur, and some coastal cities may be inhabitable by 2100. I’ll be gone from this earth by then, but Madelyn will be ninety, and the delightful Elizabeth Holiday will only be eighty-five, with grandchildren and great-grandchildren of their own. Global warming is about our families and their future, the world’s families and their future.

That’s why I temporarily conquered my aversion to science and educated myself on this topic. Global warming is not about me and my fondness for conspiracy theories, fascinating to read but dangerous to accept. Instead, it’s about measurable changes on our planet that is causing harm through hurricane, drought, and wildfire.

In an address to the United Nations, Pope Francis’ words were strong: “Any harm done to the environment, therefore, is harm done to humanity. Human beings are not authorized to abuse it, much less to destroy it.”

For me, it comes down to the question raised by Cain in the book of Genesis. “Am I my brother’s keeper?” If our answer is “yes,” then we have a responsibility for the future of our planet. No opting out of science this time around.